AHMEDABAD:Obesity puts men at higher risk of developing Type-2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease and other serious health risks, but carrying a bulbous pot-belly may also obstruct the view of your manhood.

A study by city-based chief consultant sexologist and fertility specialist Dr Paras Shah, reveals that more than 500 men across Gujarat and Rajasthan are unable to see their sex organ because of protruding bellies. All these men had not seen their organ for several years. Under the illusion of having a smaller penis size, they were suffering bouts of depression and fell in traps of quacks who suggested penile implants to them. On examination, Dr Shah found that their penises had not shrunk but were actually buried under the paunch.

Also, since these pot-bellied men were unable to see their penises, they could not maintain personal hygiene and suffered fungal and urinary infections.

Dr Shah said: “Folds of abdominal fat and skin in obese men make the penis look small or even buried at times. Called ‘buried penis syndrome’, it hampers sex life and leads to erectile dysfunction and lack of sexual desire. However, this shouldn’t be confused with a micro-penis, a condition where erect penis is less than three inches. This is mostly a congenital disorder in children and affects around 0.6% of males.”

He said the most common cause of buried penis is a bulging midriff. When a man is overweight, he collects fat on his pubic mound, which encases his penis. Just as with average-sized men, obesity reduces the size of the flaccid penis and can make the erect penis a look shorter too. Obese men with penises smaller than five inches, are more prone to hidden penis syndrome. In cases of extreme morbid obesity, some men are under the illusion of having a micro-penis.”

Dr Shah said: “Interestingly, these men were not ready to believe that their sex organ was normal as they were comparing the size of their penises with those of actors in pornographic films.”

From a psychological point of view, he said, obese men have lower self-esteem and often suffer from anxiety, depression and emotional distress due to pressure from wives.